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Message:: [QUOTE="Roman Collector, post: 4257080, member: 75937"]I have compiled a list of all denarii issued by Marcus Aurelius for his wife Faustina II and have studied the hairstyles depicted thereon. Excluding various hair ornaments, such as strands of pearls and the stephane, and ignoring whether the bust appears facing right or left, I have identified four different coiffures and have determined a temporal sequence in which they appear. From earliest to latest, they are: <blockquote>1. Gently waved hair pulled back into an simple chignon at the back of the head. Coins of this type are usually bare-headed but sometimes depict the empress wearing a stephane. 2a. More severely waved hair pulled back into a chignon lower down, where the head meets the neck; this chignon often has a "bagel-like" appearance. Coins of this type are usually bare-headed, but sometimes depict her wearing a strand of pearls; in addition, she is sometimes depicted with large earrings. 2b. More or less gently waved hair pulled back into a low chignon, the front part of the hairstyle is severely waved to frame the face. This hairstyle almost always is adorned with one or two strands of pearls or a stephane worn behind the waves framing the face. 3. The hair is braided and then pulled back into a large, low chignon. It is never adorned with strands of pearls or a stephane, but on posthumous issues, may be veiled.</blockquote> I illustrate the various types with examples from my collection: Type 1: <img src="https://www.cointalk.com/attachments/faustina-jr-fecvnd-avgvstae-denarius-2-jpg.1083928/" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" />Faustina Junior, Augusta AD 147-176Roman AR denarius, 3.41 g, 18.1 mm, 12:00Rome, AD 161.Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.Rev: FECVND AVGVSTAE, Fecunditas facing, head left, between two children (thought to represent Faustina III and Lucilla), holding two more in hand (thought to represent Fadilla and Cornificia).Refs: RIC 676; BMCRE 89; Cohen 95; Strack 520e; RCV 5251; CRE 178; Dinsdale 005120. <img src="https://www.cointalk.com/attachments/faustina-jr-saecvli-felicit-denarius-ric-711-jpg.1083940/" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" />Faustina Junior, Augusta AD 147-175.Roman AR denarius, 3.22 g, 17.0 mm, 12:00.Rome, AD 161/2.Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.Rev: SAECVLI FELICIT, Throne, upon which are seated two infant boys, Commodus and Antoninus.Refs: RIC 711; BMCRE 136; Cohen 191; RCV 5260 var. (no diadem); CRE 221; Dinsdale 005590. Type 2a: <img src="https://www.cointalk.com/attachments/faustina-jr-hilaritas-denarius-jpg.1068647/" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" />Faustina II, AD 147-175.Roman AR denarius, 3.40 g, 17.4 mm, 5 h.Rome, AD 161-175.Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bust of Faustina II, draped, right.Rev: HILARITAS, Hilaritas standing left, holding long palm-branch in right hand and cornucopia in left hand.Refs: RIC 686; BMCRE 100; RSC 111; RCV 5254; CRE 182. [ATTACH=full]1085468[/ATTACH]Faustina Jr, Augusta AD 147-175. Roman AR Denarius, 3.18 g, 18.2 mm, 6 h.Rome, under Marcus Aurelius, AD 161-175. Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: VENVS FELIX, Venus seated left, holding small statuary group of the three graces and scepter.Refs: RIC 732 aureus var.; BMC 170; CRE 240; Staal p. 142, p. 169. Type 2b: <img src="https://www.cointalk.com/attachments/faustina-jr-laetitia-standing-denarius-jpg.732469/" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" />Faustina II, AD 147-175.Roman AR denarius; 2.60 g, 17 mm.Rome, AD 161-175 Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, draped bust right.Rev: LAETITIA, Laetitia standing left, holding wreath and scepter.Refs: RIC 700; BMCRE --; Cohen 147; RCV 5258 var; CRE 197. [ATTACH=full]1085470[/ATTACH]Faustina Jr, AD 147-175. Roman AR Denarius, 3.20 g, 17.4 mm, 11 h.Rome, AD 161-175. Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: FECVNDITAS, Fecunditas, standing right, holding scepter and infant.Refs: RIC 677; BMC 91-95; Cohen 99; RCV 5252; CRE 176. Type 3: [ATTACH=full]1085471[/ATTACH]Faustina Jr, AD 147-175. Roman AR Denarius, 3.54 g, 18.4 mm, 6 h.Rome, AD 161-175. Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.Rev: IVNO, Juno, veiled, draped, standing left, holding patera in extended right hand and scepter in left hand; at left, peacock.Refs: RIC 688; BMC 105; Cohen 120; RCV 5255; CRE 190. [ATTACH=full]1085472[/ATTACH]Diva Faustina Jr, AD 161-175.Roman AR denarius, 3.60 g, 17.4 mm, 5 h.Rome, AD 176 or later.Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA PIA, bare-headed and draped bust right.Rev: CONSECRATIO, Peacock standing right, head left.Refs: RIC 744; BMCRE 716-17; RSC 71a; RCV 5215; MIR 58; CRE 202.[/QUOTE]

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